Konso Cultural Landscape of Ethiopia inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List

Konso Cultural Landscape (Ethiopia), is a 55km2 arid property of stone walled terraces and fortified settlements in the Konso highlands of Ethiopia. It constitutes a spectacular example of a living cultural tradition stretching back 21 generations (more than 400 years) adapted to its dry hostile environment. The landscape demonstrates the shared values, social cohesion and engineering knowledge of its communities. The site also features anthropomorphic wooden statues – grouped to represent respected members of their communities and particularly heroic events – which are an exceptional living testimony to funerary traditions that are on the verge of disappearing. Stone steles in the towns express a complex system of marking the passing of generations of leaders.

There are now 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ethiopia

Source: Unesco

The following Konso Myth talks about Waga, the creator:

The first man was born with all limbs and organs that we have, but even though he could see, he was in other ways completely paralyzed, unable even to breathe. Waga’s wife asked him if he could give the man some medicine to make him speak. The God replied that he had none, but he would bring the man some breath, which he did. Now the man began to move, speak, and till the soil. When he died Wage took his breath back again.